Manchester United are looking to end their 13-year-long kit supply deal with the United States sportswear company Nike and aiming to rope in Adidas as their new supplier next year, once their current contract expires.
However, Nike has insisted that they are still in talks with the Premier League giants to continue their long-running deal, although the German sportswear company said to be in pole position to replace them next year.
United is yet to comment on the matter, but a Nike spokeswoman confirmed that talks are still going on with the English club. "Manchester United are a great club and we remain in discussions with them," she said in an email.
Nike has been supplying the famous red shirt since 2002 and the Old Trafford club is getting 38 million pounds from the deal, plus profit from global merchandise sales. According to the reports, Man United is asking for 60 million pounds to ink new kit deal.
Although, Nike is in talk with United for a new deal, but a source told Reuters that the US manufacturer, who can match the price asked by the club, is unwilling to do so as it will make no commercial sense.
"Clearly Nike's football business is booming and they could easily afford to do this (deal)," a source told Reuters. "They had the right to match any other offer, but looking at the deal on the table, they will walk away as it doesn't make commercial sense."
Meanwhile, former Premier League champions unveiled their new home kit with a new sponsor, Chevrolet, which is designed by Nike. The kit will be first used by the team against Major League Soccer (MLS) side Los Angeles Galaxy on July 23.
New era, new shirt. This is how Louis van Gaal's #mufc will look in 2014/15. #MUFCkit pic.twitter.com/bNRchqw8Vt
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 7, 2014
United had signed a seven-year contract with the US car giant worth £53 million each season. The ribbed crew neck kit features white stripes with a hint of black on the sleeves and on the collar, with traditional red, white and black colours. The new kit will go on worldwide sale from July 16.
Man United is owned by the American Glazer family and is going through a rebuilding phase after finishing a disappointing seventh in the Premier League last season. They have appointed Dutchman Louis van Gaal as their new coach and signed some promising players like Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera recently.
